Sakura watched from the ramparts as the sun began to set, painting the canvas of the Ivory Plains in a thousand radiant shades of vermillion and gold.

  It was a breathtaking sight—a gorgeous display that would normally have filled her with awe and the satisfaction of having survived another day. Instead, the vivid crimson swaths spreading across the grass seemed to herald the blood that would soak the soil before the hour was through.

  The reason for her rumination was simple. Yussuf’s army was falling into formation beyond the range of the settlement’s snipers. She checked to make sure her quiver was full, then watched as the warlord organized his forces and oversaw the distribution of supplies.

  It won’t be long now. Before the ruddy sun dipped below the horizon, the Claws would complete their preparations and attack the settlement. And this time, only one side would be walking away.

  Puppet Town had done an amazing job thus far. But with most of its elites missing, the Dome and two turrets destroyed, and the north gate lying in ruins, the settlement was in dire straits.

  Despite the disparity between their forces, Sakura thought her allies could handle the bulk of the Claws’ warriors. However, with Yussuf the Red taking to the field to command his troops in person, she doubted they could hold on much longer, even with Earl fighting by their side.

  The sheriff was worth a small army by himself, but it wasn’t enough to even the odds. Sakura, Snake, and the settlement’s other stage-two hunters could delay the inevitable, but in the end, the gang had too many cored killers to defeat before their reserves ran dry.

  Once Earl and his team of elites were down and the convicts made it past the wall, the defenders would be wiped out within a matter of minutes. They had grown stronger at a remarkable rate over the last few weeks, but they simply hadn’t had time to produce enough cores and get them cycled up to match the murderous gang who’d been living in a high-threat biome for years.

  The settlement had prepared some surprises for the invaders, which would make conquering Puppet Town take longer and cost more lives than Yussuf was expecting. However, she knew deep in her gut that it wasn’t enough to turn the tide. While this was a bad, borderline hopeless situation, there was still one wildcard in the deck. She just prayed it would hit the table before it was too late.

  Riller had snuck into the settlement a few hours prior, letting the defenders know the expedition had crossed into the plains. But unless they reached the wall within the next half hour, everyone would be dead before they arrived. Even if they made it in time, Sakura had grave doubts they could deal with Yussuf, Tiburón, and Blaze, along with the score of stage-two warriors that comprised their individual crews.

  Maybe if Earl and Edge work together, they can match the power of the Claws’ leader, but even then, it’s going to be close. She would do what she could to help, but with her ultimates on cooldown, she couldn’t offer much beyond another bow on the walls.

  By now, the jailbirds were arranged in a loose formation, and each crew was being briefed by Yussuf himself. Based on their progress, she judged the jailbirds would begin their assault sometime within the next fifteen minutes. Then it would be time to fight with everything she had, hold the prisoners back as long as possible, and pray that help arrived in time.

  Sakura looked at the people standing beside her, seeing her fear and doubts mirrored in their faces. We need to strengthen our resolve, or we’ll break before long before we’re overwhelmed.

  That was when Earl climbed to the top of the closest building and got ready to address the crowd. He held a magitech microphone in one hand and his war hammer in the other, and it looked like he had fully recovered from the skirmish earlier in the day.

  The Sheriff of Puppet Town radiated reliability and might—a symbol that the fight wasn’t over while the legend was still alive. Staring at the settlement’s champion filled Sakura with hope, and judging by the way the crowd steadied when he turned to face them, they felt it too.

  With determination shining in his eyes and resolve clear in every crook of his features, Earl began to speak.

  “Hello, everyone. I wish we were meeting under happier circumstances. The battle will begin at any moment, so I might have to cut this short. I wasn’t sure this was a good idea, but Dialla talked me into it. I can’t hope to match our mayor’s eloquence, so I’ll just speak from the heart.”

  The murmurs died down as the sheriff spoke—every eye turning toward the warrior whose muscles rippled in the light of the setting sun.

  “We all came to Ord for different reasons, leaving behind lives that were strikingly different from the ones we know today. Some of us were looking for adventure, others for a new beginning. People like me were searching for meaning, trying to discover what makes life worth living. Regardless of what brought us here, Puppet Town has always belonged to hunters and merchants. To thrill-seekers, crafters, and explorers of all stripes. This place is a haven for individuals hoping to strike it rich or experience the wonder that only life on a magical planet can provide.

  “No matter what drew us to the Ivory Plains, our time on this world has changed us in profound and lasting ways—shown us brilliant new facets of ourselves and let us walk down roads we could have never imagined before standing here in the flesh. What I’m getting at is that Puppet Town is a city of dreams. A place where fortunes are won and lost, and where weary wanderers and would-be heroes can unlock our hidden potential.

  “These streets are paved with the blood, sweat, and tears of our predecessors, and these buildings are a testament to our ambitions, hopes, and aspirations. Ord is a whetstone where we can sharpen our souls and temper our spirits in the fires of adversity. Puppet Town is a symbol of something bigger than mere survival. It’s a tribute to the power of the human spirit and our relentless drive to bend fate to our will.

  “While the circumstances of our stay have changed in the aftermath of the anomaly, the significance of this settlement hasn’t dimmed at all. When I look into the faces of my friends and neighbors, I see a city that’s shining brighter than ever. This place is a monument to the new era dawning before our eyes. A declaration that while days of blood and ash have risen to engulf us, our spirits remain unbroken and our dreams will never die.”

  By now, people were cheering along with Earl’s words. His passion was spreading through the crowd like wildfire, kindling the fading embers of hope in their hearts into a roaring conflagration.

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  “We built this place! We sweep the streets and keep the lights running. This is our town. Our home! And I’ll be damned if I let some murderous motherfuckers take it from us—be they monster, man, or beast.

  “In the aftermath of the anomaly, we’re surrounded by terra incognita. Thrust into the beating heart of the new frontier. With the planet on lockdown for the foreseeable future, we’re not tourists and puppets any longer. After the challenges we’ve overcome together, every woman and man among us a settler, hunter, and a peacekeeper. And mark my words, we’re going to show the Crimson Claws how the hunters of Ord mix it up and how Puppet Town’s deputies throw down.”

  As Earl ended his brief address, he brandished his oversized hammer above his head. “Now go on and fight with your lives on the line, and tonight, drinks are on me!”

  With that, a roar arose from the assembled masses, then everyone turned and got ready to defend their home.

  The warriors spread out along the wall while the support crews moved onto the rooftops and streets below—ready to provide supportive magic, resupply the ranged units, or tend to the wounded as needed. In the distance, Sakura could hear Yussuf the Red riling up his army, then the Claws erupted into a chorus of bloodthirsty howls.

  She strung her bow and moved into position between Riller and Snake—ready to contribute to the opening barrage before switching to other duties. As auras and barriers flickered to life, the jailbirds let loose a bloodcurdling scream and charged. Under Yussuf’s command, they were leading with their weakest troops to serve as fodder and reveal any tricks the town had in store.

  The defenders of Puppet Town had been caught off-guard by the explosions and early-morning attack. But now that they knew Claws were coming, they had used every second at their disposal to fortify their position and prepare themselves for the decisive battle that would determine their fate.

  Knowing that a night battle was likely after receiving Riller’s report, the crafters had mounted rows of industrial magelights across the length of the wall. When Earl gave the order, they switched the devices on, sending intense radiance flooding across the approach to the settlement.

  This tactic served several purposes. It illuminated the jailbirds so the archers could target them while making it hard to return fire with the bright lights shining behind the defenders. It stripped the Claws of their night vision, which would take several minutes to restore if they decided to circle around and attack from another direction. It also straight-out blinded several convicts who had been using light-amplifying vision skills, taking them out of the fight until they had a chance to recover.

  It was inevitable that the magelights would be broken eventually. However, several members of the support teams could create magical lights on demand and would step in as needed to keep the battlefield illuminated. It meant the Claws’ efforts to destroy them would ultimately be futile, dividing their attention and drawing some fire away from the ramparts during the early part of the battle.

  As the convicts rushed toward the settlement, Earl gave the order, and the defenders got ready to let loose with a volley of skills and ranged attacks. For the initial stage of the engagement, every able-bodied resident of Puppet Town was taking place. Hundreds of hunters lined the ramparts and watchtowers with crossbows and boltcasters in their hands, and that was only half the story.

  Thousands of uncored people were packed onto the rooftops of the closest buildings. They were wielding longbows with experienced hunters supervising each team to make sure they angled their shots over the wall and didn’t hit their allies. The uncored would have to withdraw when the fighting reached the wall, but until then, they would contribute to the defense of their home alongside everyone else.

  “Ready.” Earl’s voice rang out. “Wall-guard, take aim along your assigned lane. Everyone else, look to the closest watchtower and follow the direction the flags are pointing. Fire!”

  With that, thousands of missiles took flight—accompanied by the ceaseless twang of bowstrings. Sakura took aim for the closest opponent and loosed her first arrow. For the next three seconds, the barrage of projectiles arced high into the dusk-darkened sky. Then then it plunged toward the army of jailbirds, and the killing began.

  The first line of Claws hit the dirt—dead before they knew they were under attack. More were knocked to the ground beneath the sheer volume of projectiles headed their way, although most of them survived since the barrage was mostly unaugmented missiles fired from maximum range.

  The battle-hardened killers were protected by their armor, skills, magitech devices, and superhuman Durability, but here and there, another jailbird was struck down. Most of the fatalities were caused by warriors using skills, but even a mundane arrow could claim a core-wielder’s life if it landed in a vital point, and several convicts died clutching arrows planted in their eyes or throat.

  While it was an encouraging sight, killing the gang’s weakest members didn’t mean much. Their stage-two fighters and elite strike leaders were the true threat. They were closing the distance fast, and the next phase of the battle would begin in a fleeting handful of heartbeats.

  By now, the Claws’ frontline was halfway to the wall, and Earl ordered the defenders to adjust their aim. They had enough time to fire another two volleys before the uncored withdrew deeper within the settlement. They would help defend the interior if the shelters were threatened, but if they were still out in the open when the prisoners scaled the wall, they would be slaughtered within a matter of minutes.

  As the jailbirds approached the settlement, another dozen were slain. Some were overcome by the prodigious number of missiles that struck them—others by powerful skills the defenders were unleashing now that their opponents were in range.

  Sakura watched a convict’s force field flicker as it deflected a dozen arrows, then shattered into fading fragments of light. The woman threw herself to the ground, but it was already too late. She was perforated in at least five vital points before her corpse crashed into the grassy soil.

  Some of the Claws’ ranged specialists had stopped to return fire, but the rest kept right on coming.

  Earl gave the signal, and the militia left the wall. They slid down a series of ropes and moved a few blocks back—ready to work with the town’s guardian beasts to take out any isolated jailbirds that made it into the settlement.

  The stage-one hunters on the rooftops kept firing and would do so until they ran low on arrows, then head over to reinforce the militia. Meanwhile, the noncombatants entered their designated shelters—under guard from the town’s uncored deputies.

  The Claws were having trouble aiming while staring into the magelights, and that wasn’t the only defense the settlement had prepared. As skills and arrows clattered against the ramparts, a series of barriers sprang into existence in front of defenders, blocking missiles and spells. A few attacks penetrated these protections or slipped around the sides, and the wall-guard took their first casualties of the fight.

  No one was dead yet, but Sakura knew that wouldn’t hold true much longer. Once Yussuf’s army reaches the base of the wall, the real battle will begin.

  The support crews helped the wounded withdraw and darted in to resupply the wall-guard whenever their stockpiles ran low. One benefit of defending a town that specialized in hunting was there was more than enough ammo to go around. Earl would keep a partial barrage going for a little while longer, but when the fighting reached the ramparts, only the snipers could continue to fire, or the settlement would risk hitting its own people.

  After the skirmish with Blaze’s strike force, Puppet Town had put some countermeasures in place to make climbing the wall harder, but within a matter of minutes, the battle outside the broken gate would begin.

  Since the Claws would avoid the turrets guarding at the south gate, the hunters had set a series of traps in the grass along the northern approach, and explosions rang out as the devices were tripped. More convicts fell into pits and were impaled on sharpened stakes, while others were struck down by poisoned darts and an assortment of triggered skills.

  However, the jailbirds were protected by a range of defensive magic. While another dozen died during their advance, most of them avoided taking critical wounds. That was the easy part. Sakura Darted to the top of a watchtower and kept firing her bow. Now the true test begins.

  In time with her thoughts, the sheriff raised a flag and addressed his people. “Cease fire and follow the instructions of your team leaders,” Earl roared. “The second phase has begun!”